Restore History, Educate, and Honor Humanity
By Don Snyder in Greenwich Time on July 14, 2021
Memorials to victims of the Holocaust, known as “stolpersteine” or “stumbling blocks,” are found throughout Europe from Trondheim, Norway to Thessaloniki, Greece. More than 75,000 of these brass plaques, created by German artist Gunter Demnig, have been placed outside the former homes of the victims, whose names are engraved on the plaques. “Emordet”— “Murdered” — appears under their names. Continue reading.
By Anne W. Semmes in the Greenwich Sentinel on June 12, 2021
Forces have joined in the town of Greenwich to tell its hidden history, “To return the colors to the historical fabrics of our community,” so said Dennis Culliton, co-founder of the Connecticut-based Witness Stones Project that “seeks to restore the history and to honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities.” Continue reading.
On May 27, 2021, the Greenwich Historical Society welcomed students from Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich. The students shared their work uncovering the lives of Cull Bush, Patience, Candice , and Hester Mead and laid Witness Stones in their memory.
Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
The Reverend Thomas Nins of the First Baptist Church. Courtesy of the Greenwich Historical Society.
Historian & Genealogist Teresa Vega. Courtesy Greenwich Historical Society.
Student Work. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
Lillie Foster Sharing Life of Cull Foster. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
Courtesy of the Greenwich Historical Society.
Laying Stone. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
Heather Lodge Laying Stone. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society
Memorial Stones Laid Beneath Bush-Holley House. Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society.
By Richard Kaufman on Patch.com on May 27, 2021
GREENWICH, CT — It was an emotional day on Thursday at the Greenwich Historical Society, as the community came together to honor the legacy of those who were enslaved in Greenwich in the 18th and 19th centuries.
According to research from the Historical Society, approximately 300 enslaved people resided in Greenwich. Thursday’s ceremony honored four individuals — Cull Bush and his partner Patience, and Candice Bush and her daughter Hester Mead — who all lived and worked for David Bush and family at the Bush-Holley House. Altogether, about 15 enslaved people worked at the house. Continue reading.
By Laura McCormick on HamletHub.com on May 11, 2021
Greenwich Historical Society will host a ceremony on May 27th at 1 pm to honor the legacy of enslaved persons who resided in Greenwich.
Open to the public, the event will take place on the Historical Society campus in Cos Cob to include town officials, civic leaders, clergy as well as teachers and students from Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich who were instrumental in researching the lives of the enslaved individuals. Enslaved persons will be honored with a “Witness Stones Memorial” engraved with their name, known birth and death dates and primary occupations, and placed on the grounds near Bush-Holley House where they resided. A reception with light snacks will follow. Continue reading.
From the Greenwich Historical Society on May 10, 2021
This spring marks the culmination of our first collaboration with the Witness Stones Project, in conjunction with local schools and the local community.
Through research, education, and civic engagement, the Witness Stones Project, Inc., seeks to restore the history and to honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities. Continue reading
By Greenwich Free Press on March 9, 2021.
To shine a light on the history, humanity and contributions of enslaved individuals who resided in Greenwich as early as the 1600s, Greenwich Historical Society is partnering with the Witness Stones Project. Continue reading.
What messages does our society send to students at different ends of the socio-economic spectrum? What joys and challenges do teachers face as they try to meet the complex needs of today’s students?
This panel discussion, hosted by Christ Church Greenwich, includes Kelly Bridges, a middle school history teacher at Sacred Heart Greenwich who shares details of Witness Stones project in the classroom. Also on the panel are Ann Neary, who taught at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx for 11 years and is now at Staples High School in Westport; Sheldon Ayers, Greenwich High School Social Studies teacher for 15 years; and Debbie Smith, Greenwich High School English teacher and longtime Christ Church member.
